“Elementary education,” I said.
Her well-glossed lips pouted. “That’s kind of cute.”
“That the children of our future are going to be getting an education from Ryan Gardner?” I asked. “I’m not sure I’d call it cute.”
“It is though. Imagine having a big man walk into your classroom, and it turns out to be Ryan. He looks like the kind of guy who would totally host a few caterpillar funerals at recess.”
“Since when do you know much about him?” I asked.
“He’s a well-liked guy, Lu. I just don’t like him because you don’t. We ladies stick together.”
I looked down to my bag again before turning my attention back to Vadika. For some reason, the thought had never occurred to me before. Vadika was just not friends with someone because of me. She always wanted to do all the fun, traditional college things even though she lived off campus, which made it more difficult.
My eyebrows creased. “Do you resent me at all?”
“What are you talking about?”
“About me holding you back,” I tried to elaborate.
“I still don’t understand what you’re talking about. You don’t hold me back.”
“It isn’t like you couldn’t have also been well liked in the way that Ryan is. I know you commute, but still. You’re gorgeous and intelligent—”
“Though I love the compliments to stroke my ego, I’m going to stop you right there,” Vadika interrupted finally. “You’re gorgeous, and you’re intelligent, first off. Also, there’s literally no one else I’d rather have my college experience with than you. Who else would I drag to the theme parties on the Row, who would also let me leave after fifteen minutes when we both realized what a mistake it was? Who else would sit here in the lab with me while I worked until ungodly hours of the night after I made the mistake of declaring myself exactly what my parents always wanted me to be?”
I snorted. I still easily remembered the Vadika I’d first met after stepping on campus.
Vadika had rushed to the admissions office to change her major to something drastic. In her case, that meant anthropology. She promptly changed back to biochemistry a week later after the all-consuming fear that her parents would find out she was rebelling by no longer being a woman in STEM. The title was one she took on rather proudly at the top of her class.
“You’re my college soul mate, Lu. Sorry, it’s been decided.”
Warmth spread through my chest at the words. I slouched farther down in my chair as I looked at my friend. “Thanks, Vad.”
“Seriously, I still can’t believe you spent the night with Ryan. And you didn’t call me!”
Ugh, for a moment, I thought we’d moved on from this. “Nothing happened. I told you, I was there because I had been kicked out of my room, and I helped him with classwork. That’s it.”
“I know.” She sighed, a devious smile still playing on her lips. “But that doesn’t mean nothing won’t happen.”
“It won’t.”
“Oh, well … is that your library lover over there?”
Trying not to whip around, I glanced over my shoulder toward the hallway where none other than Ryan Gardner was coming out alongside another guy, talking loud enough about his weekend dirt biking. I could hear him across the room. A few other people looked up toward him, too, before going back to their own lunches.
“You should say hi.”
I stared at Vadika. “Why would I do that?”
“Why wouldn’t you do that?”
I said nothing.
Without a glance in my direction, he crutched toward the door with his friend and walked out into the greenway. As he was talking, his eyes flicked in my direction, meeting my eyes without a word as he continued on his way.
It felt like the door shutting behind him hit me in the chest.
I cleared my throat and reached over to take another one of Vadika’s chips, cringing at the pungent taste.
